40 replies to this topic

[Ed]

T0 be very honest, I don't actually remember why I started playing. Seriously - I have no freakin' clue. I played online at Paradise several years ago and dabbled in online play on and off at various sites - always winning some, then losing it because in truth, I had no Earthly clue what the heck I was doing. None.I started taking the game more seriously in 2002. Tried to play more effectively online, started reading poker books, reading forums, talking to people about the game, etc. Now I play in regular home games, go to Atlantic City at least once a month, and play at Stars almost nightly. I'm by no means a good strong player yet - still neck-deep in the learning process. But as much as I am enjoying the "education," I know poker is something that will be a serious part of my life for good.

[JFarrell20]

Well I'm an old guy compared to this forum, but I hated poker. I never liked it. Didn't have a clue how to play. Bet when I was strong and folded when I was weak. Thought it was all luck, until I found myself unemployed in May of 2003, and seemingly woke up everyday around 2pm to re-runs of Moneymaker at the WSOP. First time I watched it I had no clue what they were doing...the flop just made me scratch my head. Then I realized what they were doing...and noticed the hole cam. This totally revolutionized the way I thought about poker. This is when I said "Oh, so that's how you play.." lol. A few months later...maybe Sept. 03, I downloaded party poker and played play money sng's and mtt's up until December of '04 when I got to the point that I was dominating them, and I wasn't learning anymore. Switched over to real money in January of this year. My parents do not care because I've always been frugal, and they know I will not piss away my life savings.

[KDawgCometh]

I started playing stud in middle school, I knew five card draw and five stud, but when I discoved seven stud all of a sudden things were fun. I learned it at camp, I had been a pretty good spades and hearts player so they taught me how to play sevenstud. I learned holdem in 98 I remember watching the WSOP when Scotty won, and was just drawn to the game as scotty was just tons of fun to watch. Rounders then came out so I learned holdem even more and started playing with my freshman roomate my sophmore year, it didn't take long to start beating him. I played off and on from then on until I saw the 2002 WSOP that was when I really started to play a bit more and 2003 was the year I got serious. I don't really have any big influences, I really need to find someone who is really good to really learn from as I've done a lot of it on my own through reading and watching a lot of tv, and of course through sites like this one.

[TheBrains]

iw started gettin in to poker bout 2 years ago when gus hansen won the five diamond world poker classic. His incrediblhy agressive style, the all-in factor, and the 100s of thousands of dollars at stake got me hooked

[Ebonwoulfe]

I started playing when me and my cousin decided to pick up a new hobby. I don't really know why we picked poker... I think we saw a few WPT episodes. The first book I picked up was Play Poker like the Pros (I was so naïve). We were going to play in a $30 tourney in a bar, which turned out to be highly illegal. The white TABC vans and the police cars tipped us off. Anyhow, I bought lots of chips from Wal-Mart and we used those for a while. Then I started getting some friends involved, and poker took off for me.

[uahphysics]

I've always been a math nerd and a huge gamer, I play chess, backgammon, and in High School started playing a trading card game called Magic: The Gathering, I befriended one of the better players in my town, and his brother and one day while we were playing at his house, he flipped on the WSOP, b/c he liked to watch it. Well, after watching it for a while we decided to start playing it and soon we were having NLH games after weekly magic tournaments, and even as a beginner I started winning, the losing, but lately after I've been learning lots and lots about the game, I've been winning more. The mathematical concepts have kept me hooked and once I'm 21 I plan on taking regular trips over to Mississippi to play, that and online poker.

[TheIceman05]

When I was 14, all my buddy Geno would do is yap about playing poker with his family. Finally, we all got sick of it and decided to set up a game and see how "awesome" Geno was. Well, he made us play 7-stud and Texas, and we got waxed (ie, lost 3 dollars). We started playing all weekend, every weekend.... learning all the games, trial and error. Good players started winning, poor players kept losing. Playing styles developed. Strong and weak games developed. It was really pretty neat to watch. We played close to 10 hours a week, on average, until we graduated. Never bought in for more than 20 bucks. Biggest loser ever was me, at 120 in a session. Biggest winner also me, at 121 (it's no coincidence.... I wouldn't let everyone leave until I'd won more than I'd ever lost). I always took the game more seriously than everyone else. There were other good plays, but I was the only one who knew WHY things were good, and WHAT was going on, until late senior year when everyone got tired of getting beaten up on and learned how to play. Most education I ever got was in those games, arguing about how we played afterwards. "**** you ************! You shouldn't have raised all in with your ****ing wheel, because you KNEW I had the ****ing wheel, too, and that jackass was going to call, too! Good idea. Thanks for costing us both 3 bucks!"Ice

[ddudley]

You should post a poll so we can see the totals for how old people are.I like bar graphs. :-)

[Petoria]

I had a statistics teacher in high school who is a very profitable online player. He taught me how to play, ive been addicted ever since.

[Mandelbrot]

I started playing when Moneymaker won the WSOP. Never really took too much interest in the game until he exposed it to the world and I.

[UNCpoker]

First time I ever played any type of poker was Christmas at the family reunion. We played 5 card draw and one card high card.The one card high card was fun. Everybody was dealt a card, if you wanted to play it, then you had to put a $1 in the pot. If there was a tie it went to the next hand.You should see 20 of us doing this in the middle of the living room floor. I was in my young teens, can't remember exact age. Other than this didn't really start playing real poker until I was 19. We either played poker or had spade tourneys.Started in a Casino 5 years ago. I have to travel to play though,none in my state. Online about 8 months ago now.36 now, so 17 years of this.

[wrto4556]

I've been playing for as long as I can remember. My family had "poker get-togethers". We would all bring out change or whatver money we had and sit and play all night (dealers choice of coarse...7 card stud, mexican sweat, Dr. Pepper, 5 card draw). Then later My freinds and I had poker nights, one of them was a consistant winner...I hate being beat. So, a little less than a year ago, I started reading up on poker, I joined Pokerschoolonline, and got in as many hours as possible. Needless to say, we don't have too many poker nights any more. :cry: My parents...well...my dad doesn't approve of it. He is a very smart guy, and over the past few weeks i've explained alot of critical theories and I've persuaded him some what, but he still disapporves. His words were: "Now, that's not too hard..." and gruffly, "but it's still gamblin'." My mom, on the other hand, bought me books and shirts and stuff last christmas...she even gave me $150 to gamble with. :-) She tells me I should have stayed in college, but if this is what I want to do, by all means. She's the "if it makes you happy" person. I support myself, i'm 20yrs old, what can they really say? I sometimes feel bad for all the money they wasted on college...but, college wasn't for me. Correction: College isn't for me.

[scope12]

im 20 and have been playing poker (and other card games) for fun and money since i was a kid. started playing seriously about 4 years ago. don't claim to be a wiz kid and i realize i can't hang with the best, unlike some ppl (kids and adults alike)

[Fire-]

I'm only 16(almost 16 actually) and i've been playing a couple years or so... i started playing with a good friend of mine and we got very deep into the game. We played all the time and we both became pretty good. We had become best friends, poker buddies, and almost brothers. We started making a killing against rich kids at highschools and we were having the times of our lives. He died a year ago... Every time i play poker it's for his memory. Every cent i make, reminds me of those times we played together. Every last time i've seen poker on TV i've thought about how much fun we used to have. Poker is always a hobby, but it's so much more to me. I'll probably never be a "world class" poker player, i'll probably never even become a large profitable player. I'll always play, and i'll always remember.

[wrto4556]

Fire- said:

I'm only 16(almost 16 actually) and i've been playing a couple years or so... i started playing with a good friend of mine and we got very deep into the game. We played all the time and we both became pretty good. We had become best friends, poker buddies, and almost brothers. We started making a killing against rich kids at highschools and we were having the times of our lives. He died a year ago... Every time i play poker it's for his memory. Every cent i make, reminds me of those times we played together. Every last time i've seen poker on TV i've thought about how much fun we used to have. Poker is always a hobby, but it's so much more to me. I'll probably never be a "world class" poker player, i'll probably never even become a large profitable player. I'll always play, and i'll always remember.

What a sad story.

[JustinHEMI04]

Well I am 29 and started when I was 19 in college. Worked three jobs to make my way through school. Was too much. Discovered this cool little place where I learned poker. Quit my jobs. Started with 7card stud, etc. Couple of the old timer tought me how to play. Been doing it ever since. Picked up hold em about 6 years ago. Mostly limit play. Supplements my income now. My own room does very nicely for me.Jusin

[jblade81]

Started playing with friends at a home game. Brother and father both have played, but never influenced me until I started playing on my own.

[MDXS]

My grandfather taught me 5 card draw and 7 card stud when I was about five. We played for pennies and basically remember breaking even...though he'd often spot me the buy in. The standard bet was two cents, we almost never raised, and if I bet three, he'd fold. I was a smart kid, but didn't catch on to how I could use that to my advantage. Since he taught me so young, I'm teaching by nephew, who is currently six. Of course, he's a long way off from learning the mathematics and the subtleties of the game, but I'd say he's already better than the guy who called down my made aces full of jacks chasing a backdoor flush with 92s in a Sit N' Go today. I didn't start playing hold 'em or any game seriously until this summer. I'm not even sure how it happened. Watching on TV certainly alerted me, but I'm not certain what exactly lead me to throw money on Poker Stars.

[moneymanbc]

wrto4556 said:

Fire- said:

I'm only 16(almost 16 actually) and i've been playing a couple years or so... i started playing with a good friend of mine and we got very deep into the game. We played all the time and we both became pretty good. We had become best friends, poker buddies, and almost brothers. We started making a killing against rich kids at highschools and we were having the times of our lives. He died a year ago... Every time i play poker it's for his memory. Every cent i make, reminds me of those times we played together. Every last time i've seen poker on TV i've thought about how much fun we used to have. Poker is always a hobby, but it's so much more to me. I'll probably never be a "world class" poker player, i'll probably never even become a large profitable player. I'll always play, and i'll always remember.

What a sad story.

Not as sad as this

wrto4556 said:

I sometimes feel bad for all the money they wasted on college...but, college wasn't for me.